Everyone's Hero
by Tvmatchmaker795
Summary: Jake Collins is not ordinary. He fights monsters with his friends and protects the world. But what happens when a monster threatens his life and those he knows? Will he step up and fight or let his life be destroyed? Warning: Violence. AKA The Shot. (PERMANENT HAITUS- sorry)
1. Trouble's A Comin'

"So I said, hey! That's not right! The whole class got a huge laugh out of that. Mr. Gregory even let us not do any class work from that joke." Jake finished telling his story to Amanda, a very cute sophomore who happens to be in his art class. Jake might want to ask her out sometime. Jake and Amanda laugh while leaning up against his locker.

Hayley hears Jake's laughter and looks over. She sees Amanda touch Jake's arm. A sharp pang of jealousy runs up Hayley. She knows that she can't stand to see that everyday so she walks over to them and does something surprising. She knows that Jake is telling the story of Mr. Gregory and his stupid joke so she uses that to her advantage.

"Haha… are you telling her of that funny joke in Mr. Gregory's class? That was classic! Hey, honey are you going to come over to my house and make out later?" She interweaves her arm with his. Jake looks questioning at Hayley then back at Amanda. His face drops when he sees her leave with a disgusted look on her face. Jake shakes off Hayley's arm and unleashes on her.

"Why did you do that? I was talking to Amanda. We could have maybe gone out! I was this close to dating a sophomore!" He holds up his fingers showing little space between his thumb and index fingers. Hayley chuckles at his misfortune.

"Yeah right, Amanda is dating Chet, Jake. I did it for your safety!" She sarcastically says this. Jake walks away from her. Hayley runs to catch up to him and walks beside him.

"Common Jake, it was just a joke. I am sure Amanda didn't think that I could possibly go out with you." Hayley smiles at Jake but it turns to a frown.

"Seriously? Even when you are apologizing you still seem to insult me." Jake looks at Hayley angrily. Even though he has been able to forgive Hailey for a lot of things, this was too far. He actually liked Amanda and he had a shot. Hayley screwed it up and he didn't know why. He thought that she was his friend.

Felix walks up to them and notices the darkened mood between his fellow troop members.

"Hey guys, why are you so gloomy there Jake?" Felix tries to lighten the mood but can't.

"Hayley scared off a girl that I liked by pretending that she was my girlfriend. And she was a sophomore too! Thanks a lot Hayley." Jake storms off. Hayley is about to go after him but they get a watch com message from Mr. Stockly.

"Hey kids. I am alone with my lemon squares and was wondering if all three of you can quickly come on down here. We have an emergency!" Hayley and Felix look at each other and head to headquarters.

When they arrive they find Jake already there. He went there straight after their fight to cool off. Mr. Stockly walks out eating a lemon square and looks at the troop members.

"I am glad you can all make it. I have just learned of a dangerous situation. A monster called Triconigus. It sneaks in the ear of a male human and causes extreme anger and aggravation. Too often, people inhabited by this monster have done violent things. And the troop grid has picked up on some activity here by our high school. I think one of the students is inhabited by the Triconigus." Felix walks over and tries to look it up in the big book but it shows nothing.

"There is nothing here on how to catch it Mr. Stockly. How do we know if someone is the monster or just an ass?" Felix asks Mr. Stockly. Jake and Hayley walk over and see the empty page too.

"Well, the Triconigus is a quiet dumb monster. It actually admits to being inside the human if asked. That's how powerful it thinks it is. I need you to spend today looking for it. We can't have things turn violent. First look for it in your friends then strangers." Mr. Stockly nods at them and then leaves them.

"Felix doesn't have any friends." Jake laughs at his joke but neither Hayley nor Felix find it funny.

"Not cool Jake. I am Felix's friend." Hayley says, obviously surprised by Jake's coldness.

"What ever. Well I think we should split up. I can look for it on my own while you and her look for it together. We can watch-com to tell each other if we found it." Jake addresses Felix only and not Hayley. She notices how Jake called herself, her. As if her name would be poison to his lips. Jake walks away.

"Felix, I am sure Jake didn't mean that. He is just bitter from my joke at lunch time." Hayley pats Felix on the back as they start looking at security tapes.

"I know he didn't mean it. Whoa… that taco from lunch is catching up to me. I am going to run the restroom. Be back in a bit." Felix awkwardly runs to the bathroom. Hayley laughs and looks up at the large troop grid screen. She sees in the security footage of the school, time stamped the same time Jake was talking to Amanda. She looks around and clicks on it. The tape of video plays before her eyes as she skips around looking for the one security camera by her and Jake's locker. She finally finds it and watches. She flinches every time that they laugh together. Her jealously sends another shot of pain through out her body. Hayley sees on the video Jake laughing by himself and he sighs, lost in his eyes.

Felix walks out of the boys restroom and walks in on Hayley sighing. He looks at the screen and sees a zoomed in video of Jake's face. Suddenly he realizes why Hayley stopped Jake's flirting. He coughs to catch her attention. Hayley is startled and quickly closes the video footage. She blushes and turns around to Felix looking at her.

"Ummmm… How long have you been there Felix?" Hayley is afraid of the answer but she needs to know.

"Long enough, can I ask when you started to like Jake?" Felix walks closer to her and pulls up a chair. He knew that the chemistry was there but at least Jake didn't know it yet.

"Uh when we captured the Fairy, I thought Jake and I shared a moment but he shook it off and moved on…" There is a hint of sadness that Felix hears in her voice. He knows that Hayley probably doesn't open up a lot so this is rare.

"Well maybe when we are done with looking for the Triconigus then you and Jake can talk but now we need to focus on finding this monster." Felix turns Hayley around and they continue looking for the monster.

**An Hour Later… **

The end of the day bell rings right on time as everyone rushes out of their classes, excited to go home. Jake is walking around the hallways looking for people who stayed and matched the description of the Triconigus. Suddenly, JC, the varsity football coach of Offence walks by.

"Hey coach! I won't be able to make it for practice today." Jake grabs JC's arm to get his attention but when he does JC grabs Jake's and pins him against the locker.

"Don't touch me kid." JC gives Jake a glare and walks away. Now, Jake had secretly tried out for the football team and didn't expect to make it. But he made it and was their quarterback. The senior and the juniors didn't appreciate a freshman coming in and stealing their spot but JC stood up for Jake.

"_Okay guys, it's been an awesome three days of tryouts and I have the final list of Offensive players for Varsity and JV football teams. I am glad to say that we have a strong Varsity team. The center will be James Rodriguez; the offensive tackles are Cameron Sharp, Troy Barry and Diego Ramirez. The offensive Guards are Jacob Swede and Aaron Ramirez. The tight ends will be Jade Smith and Carter Wilson. The full back is Casey Robinson and the running back is Smithy Jones." JC reads the names off his clip board. Most everyone looks around confused because the most important part is the quarterback and JC didn't announce it. One of these people is Jake, who is talking with James Rodriguez, who is a close friend even though he is a junior. _

"_Wait, is he going to announce the quarterback? I am probably going to be on the sucks-a- lot JV team. Damn it." Jake looks sadly at the ground. He got all sweaty and nasty for nothing. James pats him on the back._

"_Hey Jake, JC was pulling our strings. He's going to announce it now!" Jake looks up and hopefully wishes for a spot, even though its 1 in a 100 that he gets it. _

"_Ohhh… did I miss a guy? Haha, I knew that. It was for dramatic effect. Now the lead quarterback is… Jake Collins." JC looks around and sees a shocked Jake. _

_Jake smiles at James and high fives him. A freshman made it to varsity football. Jake didn't think he fit the bill for quarterback but he did. Jake was 5'8" and 150 pounds with a strong build and amazing arms. He had a growth spurt since the beginning of the year. He had even gotten a few dates after his change. Now he was sure to get a girlfriend. _

_James shoves Jake up to wear JC is standing. JC shakes hands with Jake and lets him bask in the glory. But a couple of the seniors who wanted the quarterback position voice their complaints._

"_Hey! He's a freshman! How come he gets it but not me? I'm better and he's just an ass." Says Chet Graham, a very mean senior._

"_Hey! Watch it Chet. Jake here is amazing. You saw him when we ran the drills. Now, no fussing you wimps and go take showers." Everyone trots back into the locker room and showers. _

JC was buddies with Jake since then and Jake knows that JC would never call him kid. Jake's eyes widen with realization. JC has the Triconigus in him! Jake tries to follow JC but is stopped by Amanda. He rolls his eyes and tries to get past her but JC is already gone.

"Amanda, I need to go talk to my coach about football so if you don't mind moving." Jake stops fidgeting and looks straight at Amanda. She has her hands on her hips and is tapping her foot.

"You know, Jake, I thought you would be different than other football players. You were kind and sweet." Amanda looks sadly at him. Jake just looks at her as she continues.

"But you have a girlfriend and yet you were flirting with me. Just to let you know, Chet is my boyfriend and he is looking for you." Jake's face drops as soon as he hears the name Chet. He knew that Amanda might have been taken, Hayley was right.


	2. Fight! Fight! Fight!

**- In the Freshman Hall-**

Hayley and Felix were walking in the halls, looking for any suspicious behavior when they see a guy at the end of the hallway running. _He's cute, but I can't see his face._ Hayley squints to see the guy's face and so does Felix. Hayley's eyes widen when she realizes its Jake.

"Jake! Why are you running? Are you in trouble?" Felix tries to yell at Jake to get him to stop but instead they receive a;

"YAHHH!" Jake's face is panicked once they see it close up. Jake runs past them and turns a sharp corner towards the gym. Behind him is a fully pissed Chet, running full speed after him. Felix and Hayley look at each other in concern and run behind Chet and Jake.

They run in to see Jake cornered in the gym. Chet is walking circles around Jake while they watch each other's eyes. Hayley and Felix walk near by and try to talk to Chet.

"Chet, hey it's Hayley. You don't need to beat up Jake. He just made a huge mistake flirting with Amanda." Chet just growls at Hayley and keeps circling Jake. Hayley and Felix can't help Jake because Chet is a hefty, strong, guy and they would be no match and so they have to sit on the bleachers and watch helplessly.

By this time, many students had seen Jake and Chet running down the hallways and had followed. This created a large crowd of 50 students or so sitting on the bleachers cheering Chet on.

"Chet, Chet, Chet!" The crowd chants. Hayley and Felix sit quietly in their spot. Most of the people in the bleachers are seniors and juniors and also friends with Chet.

Jake during this chanting has just been looking at Chet. His nose flares when he wants to attack and Jake knows that because of football. Suddenly he sees it. Chet gets ready to fight. Jake takes a big breath and prepares himself. Chet quickly charges at Jake and tackles him to the hard gym floor. The crowd stands up and cheers louder for Chet. Jake struggles with dodging the punches, while trying to get back up. He throws punches back at Chet and that knocks him back. This gives Jake a chance to hop back up and get ready.

"You don't have to do this Chet." Jake tries to reason with him but Chet ignores him and charges again. This time Chet clocks Jake right in the jaw. The blow pushes Jake to the ground and his lip begins to bleed. Jake glances over to crowd and sees Hayley and Felix looking helplessly on. He sighs because he knows that he has to beat Chet in order to stop him. Jake stands up and wipes the blood off his face and smiles at Chet.

"What are you smiling at Jake? Your going to get your ass handed to you in front of the whole school!" Chet gets more ticked at Jake and throws punches at Jakes gut. But this time, Jake is ready and grabs Chet's wrists. Jake twists them so Chet cries out and the crowd grows silent. In the twisted position that Chet is in, Jake easily kicks Chet down on the floor.

"I don't want to fight you Chet. Let's stop before you get hurt." That last sentence tips Chet over the edge. He gets up and jumps on top of Jake, which forces him to the ground. Chet begins kicking Jake furiously.

"Ha. That's for stealing my spot on the football team, you twerp." After three of Chet's kicks, Jake turns around and grabs Chet's foot in mid air, throwing Chet off balance. Jake finally punches Chet right in the eye, which knocks him out cold. That leaves Jake standing there, panting over an unconscious Chet, in front of most of Chet's friends. Jake looks up. He can't see Hayley or Felix. He sighs and begins to walk away. The crowd starts to cheer again for Jake this time. Jake smiles at them but continues walking away.

Jake looks around freshman hall but he can't find Hayley or Felix. He cannot believe that they ditched him, right in the middle of his fight. In the middle of his thoughts, he hears sobbing. He follows the noise to behind the vending machine. He sees Hayley with tears in her eyes and Felix with an arm around her. Jake crouches down to where he can see her face. She looks up at him.

"Jake! I am so glad you are okay." Hayley stands up and hugs Jake. He cringes because of the pressure on his ribs. Hayley shies away. Jake lifts up his shirt to show two massive bruises by his ribs. Even though it was a horrible sight, Hayley's mind couldn't help but wander to the six pack abs that Jake had. _Man, what have you been doing to get you THOSE?_

"Ouch, this is going to hurt in the morning. Hayley, I am sorry for yelling at you. You were right, Amanda was dating Chet. But I don't think that is the only reason he attacked me. I think the Triconigus may have a friend. I noticed JC was angry and then Chet was attacking with a lot of anger. I think those two have the monster in them." Jake holds his side while saying this. His ribs really hurt. Hayley looks concerned at him.

She can't believe that Jake just was in a brutal fight. Jake is a sweet, caring guy. But then again, he was fighting a monster and she has a feeling they will see the monster again.

"That makes sense. But we need to tell Mr. Stockly what happened. There is no way that we can take on Triconiguses alone." Felix walks away to tell Mr. Stockly. Hayley and Jake stand there awkwardly.

"Uhhh, you probably should go home and get those bruises looked at." Hayley says.

"Yah, I guess so. Well I will see you tomorrow." Jake turns to leave but he sees JC walk towards them. Instinctively he steps in front of Hayley. JC growls at them both and continues walking.

Jake turns around and sees Hayley blush. He blushes too.

"Ummm, I always protect my friends." He rubs the back of his head. Why did he say that? He just said that Hayley was **just** his friend. Great, now he didn't have a shot with her. He walks away, hitting his forehead. Hayley laughs at him. Her Jake is back. _He's not yours Hayley. Gosh, get your head on straight._ She sighs and walks in the other direction.

Each of the troop members is thinking the same word.

**Triconigus.**


	3. Ashleigh Grey

The next day everyone in the school was talking about how Chet got beaten up by a freshman. Jake noticed that when he walked in the senior hall, on his way to one of his classes, everyone wanted to high five him and even the senior girls were looking him up and down. He smiles at everyone, clearly enjoying the attention. When it came to lunch time, everyone let him cut and the even the lunch ladies gave him more food. _This is SO awesome!_ He looks around in the cafeteria, scanning the area for Hayley and Felix. He spots them over by their usual table but on the way there, he got invited to practically every table. Including the sophomore girl table, this was legendary for _any_ freshman guy to be invited to.

"Hey Jake! Nice job beating up Chet yesterday. He's a jerk and I don't know why Amanda is going out with him. We were wondering if you wanted to sit with us." The girl who was talking to Jake, Ashleigh, looked around at the clearly excited sophomore girls and then back at Jake. He bites his lip and looks back at the table where Hayley and Felix are.

"Uhh… sorry Ashleigh but I am going to sit with my friends. I will make it up to you though." He winks at her, flirting with her. He leaves the table feeling pretty good about himself.

During his chat with the sophomores, Hayley has been talking with Felix. She looks over at Jake, who is winks at Ashleigh and begins to walk over to them. Her curiosity is peaked by this.

"Hey Jake, what was that about?" Felix asks, as if reading Hayley's mind. Jake sits down by Hayley and smiles at Felix.

"Well I just got invited to sit with them."

Felix gasps at him. "No way! Why did you say no! I mean, **YOU**, were talking to Ashleigh Grey, the hottest sophomore ever to walk these halls."

"You know, now that I think about it, I don't know. But it was so awesome, she even flirted **back** with me." Hayley perks up when she hears the word back because that meant that Jake was flirting too.

"Uhh well I am sure that she has a boyfriend already." Hayley tries to discourage him. "Any way how are your sores? You looked pretty banged up yesterday." She focuses on the bruise on Jake's jaw.

"Really? That sucks and I am actually doing pretty well. The chicks dig scars and bruises. And now I am not making that up!" Jake is increasingly excited by his status.

"Just don't let it get to your head. It's already big as it is." Hayley stifles a laugh and so does Felix. Jake just looks hurt at them both.

"Common guys, that wasn't cool." Jake stands up with his lunch tray. "If anything would get to my head, it would be my football status as quarterback for this upcoming season." With that, he leaves. Felix looks at Hayley as they both realize what Jake said. He was a football player. _So that's how he got so muscular. _Hayley thinks to herself. After a moment, wondering where he went, Hayley turns her head to see Jake approach to sophomore table and sit down with the six giddy girls circling around him. She frowns and turns back to Felix.

"Hey Ashleigh. Do you mind if I sit here?" He cautiously asks her. He hopes that he didn't blow his chance. She smiles up at him.

"Sure, you can sit here." She pats an empty place right beside her. Jake smiles at her and sits down. Immediately the rest of the girls crowd around him.

"So Jake, I heard that you have some killer bruises from when Chet kicked you? Are you okay?" Ashleigh looks concerned at him. He smiles at her, sort of getting where this is going.

"Yeah, I am just a little sore. Do you guys want to see them?" He asks the whole table. All of them nod and giggle because they know that Chet kicked him right below the ribs. He stands up and looks around for a teacher, right as he is about to lift his shirt Mr. Mays, a science teacher, sets his hand on Jake's shoulder immediately stopping him.

"Mr. Collins. Would you mind getting back to eating and not flashing the cafeteria? Thank you." Jake only nods, trying not to get in trouble as Mr. Mays leaves. He sits down and glares at Ashleigh, who just laughs.

"Nice, you just got busted. And you still need to make it up to me." She lifts one eyebrow and looks mischievously at him. He returns the look and smiles at her.

"What have you got in mind?"

Immediately, the table of girls scrunches together and begins whispering. They sometimes look back at Jake, looking him up and down and giggling. He continues smiling at them. When they break off, Ashleigh smiles at him and say,

"Well I am having a swimming party at my house tonight and I was wondering if you wanted to come." Jake glows as soon as he hears this. _Sweet! An invite to Ashleigh Grey's house and seeing her in a bikini! I hit the mother load!_

"Yes! Of course I will come. Can I bring some friends though?"

She smiles coyly at him. "You can bring anyone you want." When she says that, the bell rings, ending lunch. As they get up from the table, he leans over and whispers something in her ear.

"It's a party date then." She blushes as he leaves. He can hear over his shoulder the giggling of the girls that he sat with. He smiles broadly at himself.

For the next two classes, it was fairly easy to avoid Hayley and Felix because Jake didn't have classes with either of them but in his science class he was paired with Hayley. They were going to have to talk to each other. Seeing her next to his spot, Jake carefully made his way through the maze of desks and students and sat down next to her.

"Hey."

"Hey Jake, I am sorry about that joke I made at lunch." She makes a sorry face at him that makes his heart skip a beat. _No Jake, you are attracted to Ashleigh, you are going on a date tonight. _After thinking that, it reminds him to ask Hayley something.

"It's okay. Hey, I was wondering if you wanted to go to a party that I got invited to." Hayley's heart flutter's with anticipation. Her smile turns into a frown when she hears what he says next. "Maybe you can go with that guy that you have been crushing on… uh what's his name?"

"Sam." She says with little enthusiasm. If she would have gone with the guy she liked, it would have been Jake but she wouldn't tell him that.

"Yeah, Sam that's his name."

"Hey, whose party is this?" She asks curiously.

"Well when I was sitting at the sophomore table, I got asked by Ashleigh Grey to go with her. Isn't going to be great! Oh… it's also a swimming party so you should wear a bikini." He jokes around with her. She elbows him in the gut, playfully. He flinches in pain because she hit his big bruise.

"Oh Jake I am so sorry! Yeah, sure I will come. Hey, I didn't know that you were on the football team let alone being the quarterback."

"Yeah, I tried out with my best buddy James Rodriguez and I actually made it."

"That's really cool Jake. What time does the party start?"

"It starts at five at Ashleigh's house." After he says this, he looks up at the chalk board and frowns. "Great, by the end of this period we are supposed to make a lab write up of the experiment. And I have no clue what we do." He turns to her and smiles pitifully. She laughs at him as they begin doing the write up.


	4. Hottie Body Award

As soon as the bell rang, Jake rushed out of the science room to get prepared for the party. He has to work out for an hour before he goes. When he gets home, he heads to his weights and pull up bar. He is thankful for football because the coach said that he needs to work out everyday even if they don't have practice. After he has done his regular set, Jake heads to the shower and get ready.

Jake arrives to Ashleigh's party right as many people are. He looks around for people he knows and sees Hayley with Sam, standing awkwardly at the punch table. He laughs at them as he approaches. But when he gets closer, he is blown away at Hayley. She is wearing a red bikini and she has a thin body with a perfect amount of muscles.

"Hey guys. Hayley you look amazing." He smiles as she blushes. Sam coughs to get Jake to notice him. "Oh hey man. How have you been?" They shake hands in a manly way.

"I'm good." Sam barely smiles. He turns to Hayley. "Hayley, I am going to say hi to some friends. I will meet you in the pool soon." He kisses Hayley on the cheek and Jake can feel a pang of jealousy. When Sam leaves, Jake bursts into laughter. Hayley glares at him.

"What? Did you see him? I kind of expected him to short circuit because his batteries ran out. He barely had any emotions. Way to pick a guy, I liked Bryan better."

"Well Bryan is with one of Ashleigh's posy now. Speaking of the girl of the hour, where is your friend?" She points out. Jake looks around and shrugs. He leans into to whisper in her ear as chills get sent down Hayley's back.

"She is actually my date." He pulls away and winks. He is so proud of himself for being at sophomore dating level.

"Oh… that's cool I-" Hayley is interrupted by Ashleigh coming up and hugging Jake from behind him. Jake turns around and hugs her back as they start a conversation.

"Ashleigh, your party is so awesome. Oh this is my friend Hayley." He turns them around to face Hayley. Hayley plants a fake smile on her face as she sees Jake and Ashleigh's hands are intertwined.

"Hi. Are you the Hayley on the cheerleading team?" Ashleigh asks nicely.

"Yes I am. Now, I need to go find Sam." Hayley leaves them alone as she walks over to the edge of the swimming pool. She carefully dips her feet into the pool. She stares off into the distance as she thinks about the situation she is in. She thinks she likes Jake but he clearly isn't interested in her back. Should she lead Sam on or just be alone? Her thoughts are interrupted by Ashleigh.

"Hey everyone! Thanks for coming to my party and I have a treat for all the girls here." All the girls ooh in excitement. Hayley looks at Jake, who is chuckling next to Ashleigh, and still holding her hand. "I have convinced the football players here to give us a fashion show of bathing suits on the diving board." All the girls clap. "Wait, there's more. They will be judged according to style and cuteness. The winner will be able to pick the girl of his choice to go on a romantic date with." All the girls squeal now. Ashleigh claps her hands in excitement too. Hayley is even looking forward to it. _Wait. Football players? Jake! _She realizes that Jake is going to parade down the diving board in front of everyone. She hasn't seen a lot of Jake's muscles but she assumes that there is a lot.

"Okay, so we have four guys here that is on the football team. We will announce their names, their spot on the football team and what his perfect girl is." Ashleigh announces. She and three girls sit on the opposite side of her pool to watch. "Now, everyone and especially girls, crowd around the pool or get in. After every guy has gone we will judge by applause." As soon as she says this, most of the guys leave to where the football games are on. Hayley can defiantly see who the gays are now. She is shocked to see one of her student council friends stay.

"First up is Carter Wilson. He is a sophomore playing a tight end. Speak of which, look at his tight end." Tracy says. Tracy is one of Ashleigh's friends and she is dating Carter. Some girls whistle at him, when Carter turns around on the diving board. "He likes a girl who is funny and can take a joke."

Hayley notes that he has some muscular shoulders. _Hey, I am single and who doesn't want to see guys topless? _As Carter leaves, another boy steps on and casually steps onto the board.

"This is Jacob Swede, a junior. He likes a girl that can keep up with his schedule and is smart like him. He plays one of the two offensive guards." Amanda says. She is also one of the three girls by Ashleigh. Hayley notes that Jacob is very large but not in a fat way. He has broad shoulders, strong arms and semi muscular stomach. Jacob smirks at the rest of the guys who are waiting on the sidelines. He smiles and jumps in the pool in a cannon ball position, ending in most of the girls near, wet. All of them scream in displeasure. Hayley chuckles quietly at them.

"Nice Jacob. Anyway, next up is Smithy Jones. **(He's Black, FYI) **He plays the running back for our Red Raven team. **(Let's just assume it's their mascot.)**" Jane declares. She is the new girl of the posy. Hayley sees that Smithy is probably the smallest person on the football team. Jane continues after girls cheer out. "He likes a girl who is as active as he is in sports and likes to run with him on his runs."

Ashleigh then takes her time announcing the next guy. Hayley is going to laugh hard when Jake comes up there with a little tiny muscle and is humiliated. "And last but certainly not least is Jake Collins."

Jake smiles broadly as he steps onto the board with nothing but his bright green swim trunks on. He gazes out in the crowd and can see most all the girl's jaw drop and even the one gay guy. He laughs as he continues walking but hears no commentary because Ashleigh is in shock too. He looks down at himself and agrees with the stunned crowd. From his angle, he can see his clear four pack abs and his pretty tough chest are glistening with water on them. Jake takes his time to look at every face that either teased him or turned him down. When he gets to one face, he is certainly shocked and happy at her expression. Hayley is staring and her mouth is wide open. Jake coughs, trying to get Ashleigh's attention, which he does.

"Ohhh… sorry. Wow, Jake is a freshman who is going to play the quarterback on the varsity team. He likes a girl who is smart, funny, active in sports and the community and cute." Ashleigh blushes because she thinks that she fits the perfect description. Hayley rolls her eyes at Ashleigh. She could almost swear that Jake was describing her. _Maybe he does like me. I should ask. _Hayley snaps out of her thoughts right as the judging is about to begin. She looks around for Jake and sees him chatting with the other football players. When she begins to stand up to talk to him, some random girl pulls her down.

"We need every girl's opinion." The girl tells her. Hayley hesitantly sits back down and listen to the girls giggle and gossip. The girl that pulled her down speaks up. "Now ladies, I know that some of you are dating some of the candidates but let's not be biased. Its not like there every was any competition between the boys. Who here votes for Jake _**hottie **_Collins?" All of the girls raise their hands. Even Hayley has to raise her hand a little bit. Ashleigh looks around pleased by the voting.

"Okay boys, time to come back now." Ashleigh yells at the four boys standing aimlessly on the side. They shuffle back behind the diving board. Ashleigh looks around before continuing. "And the winner of the _**Hottie Body**_ is…" She pauses for underestimated dramatic effect like they do in American Idol. "Jake Collins." The entire girls scream as Jake smugly walks out on the diving board. He holds out his arm like he is trying to get any others to challenge him.

"It was animus that you win so Jake… who is your lucky date?" Amanda says to him. Jake raises an eyebrow at animus. He glances at Hayley in the crowd. She is blushing and Ashleigh and Hayley twice. _Which one? _He makes a decision and hope to god that he doesn't hurt the other beautiful girl. Taking a deep breath, he begins to say the name as the whole girl population waits in anticipation.

". . ."


	5. I Guess You're My Girlfriend

_Hayley! Say it you fool! Common, she is the perfect girl for you. Wait… Sam. She would reject me in front of the whole sophomore class. I do like Ashleigh. Ahh! This is so hard. _Jake thinks to himself in the moment. He can hear the crickets chirping in the background, its so dead quiet. _Who are you kidding Jake? Hayley and you are just friends. Get over her, she will break your heart. _

His voice cracks as he says, "Ashleigh Grey." He reluctantly turns to where Hayley was. To his shock, he doesn't see her. Instead he sees blond hair go rushing out of Ashleigh's back yard gate. The rest of the girls don't notice because they are all giving Ashleigh congratulations with envy. Jake sadly looks down at his feet. He justifies it in his head that it would have been awkward on the date with Hayley and who is he to come with a girl to the party and leave with another? He isn't a player like that.

"Oh my gosh… thank you so much Jake." Ashleigh rushes onto the diving board where Jake is. Jake is still distracted by whether or not it was the right choice. Pushing away those fears, Jake turns around to face Ashleigh and smiles at her.

"No problem. You were the obvious and cutest choice." He flatters her. When he says that, Ashleigh smiles grandly at him. Jake can feel some of the pain go away when she looks at how pretty she is and how lucky he is to be with her. Smiling devilishly at her, Jake peaks her curiosity.

"What? Do I have something on me? Oh please don't." Ashleigh combs over her face and hair. Jake just continues to smile as he grabs her, wedding style and jumps with her into the pool causing one big splash. Jake rises to the surface laughing. The whole girl population waits in agony to see if that was funny or not. Ashleigh comes to the top. She glares at Jake for a second and everyone, including Jake, thinks that he is in trouble when suddenly she laughs. The girls around the pool are able to laugh without being a traitor. Jake sighs in relief as he swims over to Ashleigh. Ashleigh and him swim over to the edge and just float while hanging on to the edge of the pool.

"Hey." Jake flirts cautiously.

"Hey yourself." She flirts back. After a silence, Jake senses it's the right time for 'it'. Carefully he leans in closer. Ashleigh's eyes widen with Jake's movement but she too leans closer to Jake. Right as their noses touch, they close their eyes in preparation. _Common Jake, don't screw up your first kiss. Focus. Make her feel like she's all you think about. Yes, reading your mom's Cosmo's has paid off. _

Right as their lips hover over one another, Jake feels like 200 eyes are watching him. He opens his eyes for a brief second and is scared to see all the girls watching the scene before him. Jake looks at Ashleigh who still has her eye's closed and is holding her lips out expectantly. Jake tries to lean back in for the kiss but is too nervous and freaked out by all the girls watching him. He pushes off the edge, downwards in one loud whoosh and submerges in the water.

Ashleigh hears this and opens her eyes. To her shock and embarrassment, all of her friends are staring at her puckering her lips at no one. She looks for Jake and sees him submerged and pointing around them. She looks all around the pool and sees the extent of the eyes watching them. The guys have even come out and are looking surprised at Jake's move. Ashleigh blushes a cherry red.

"Hey, this isn't a spectacle. Go home. Party's over." Ashleigh announces to the crowd. They give complaints but begin to shuffle out. Jake sees this from under water and swims to the surface. He gasps for air.

"I am so sorry Ashleigh, I really did want to kiss you but. . ." Jake's rambling is silenced by Ashleigh's finger resting on his lips.

"It's okay." Ashleigh sighs. Suddenly, Ashleigh pulls back her finger from Jake's mouth, embarrassed as ever. She realizes that her fingers are getting punier. She immediately jumps out of the pool and grabs a towel near by. Jake sighs also and follows her out.

They just stand their looking at each other. Jake rubs the back of his head as he says, "Do you want to try again? Seeing as there are no more people."

Ashleigh shakes her head. "No, I think it ruined the moment." Jake chuckles when she says this.

"Good, it might have been really awkward." Jake admits with a humor. Ashleigh laughs too. They walk around the pool, hand in hand, to where Jake's stuff is.

"Well this is my stop." Jake says. He swings Ashleigh's hand in his as they idly stop.

"What does this mean?" Ashleigh says, holding up their hands. Jake thinks about what he is about to say. In his heart, he is unsure of this decision but decides to dive right in.

"I don't know? You're my girlfriend?"

"I am your girlfriend. That sounds nice." Ashleigh repeats. They reluctantly let go hands as Jake gathers his stuff and leaves. He can't help that he betrayed his heart and Hailey.

_Hayley._


	6. Triconigus's Have Brothers?

**Hey. Sorry for the long break between updates. Okay, so if any of you need a reference of what Ashleigh looks like just Google Emma Watson. P.S. She doesn't have a British accent in this.**

**Oh... I am actually starting to like my OC so i have a problem. Do I turn this into a Jake/OC story or keep it going on the path that leads to Jake/Hayley? Please give suggestions to what i should do. (I dont want Jake to be a jerk to Ashleigh when and if he breaks up with her to be with Hayley.) Arg! Writing is SO HARD!**

**The next chapter is probably the last. **

The next day, the whole school was once again buzzing about Jake. Except it was about how he had amazing abs and he's dating Ashleigh Grey now. Jake and Ashleigh walk down the halls proudly holding hands. When some of Ashleigh's friends join them, Jake just huddles closer to her. The one downside of dating a sophomore is you only know _**of **_her friends and so he doesn't know her friends. He feels out of place but when Ashleigh notices him being quiet she stops talking with her friends and smiles at him. She tightens her hand around his.

"Hey." She flirts.

"Hi." Jake flirts too. It's sort of their thing to flirt like that. It's much more subtle.

"So what's your next class?" Ashleigh asks him. Jake looks down the hall and sees his teacher standing at the door. He turns back to her.

"I have science with Mr. Mays." He growls. As they walks together, alone because Ashleigh's friends have left, Jake buries his head in her shoulder. "He hates me. And he saw me nearly flash the cafeteria yesterday." He murmurs into Ashleigh's shoulder. Ashleigh chuckles at her boyfriend.

"Relax, I am sure he forgot. And besides, I am sure he would have enjoyed the show if he saw it."

Jake takes his face off her shoulder and glares at her, jokingly of course. "Not funny." Ashleigh pats his chest as they reach the door to his class.

"Yes it is. Now, go be a good student and listen to your teacher." Ashleigh jokes with him. Jake smiles at her. He leans down and kisses her on the cheek. _Yes, already they are doing the cheek thing. _Ashleigh reluctantly lets go of his hand and walks away. Jake smiles to himself. _How did he get such an amazing girlfriend? _

Jake walks into the classroom and sees Hailey talking with Felix at their table. He smiles broadly as he sits down with them.

"So… I heard that yesterday at the party, you didn't invite me to, you nearly kissed Ashleigh Grey and now you guys are the **it **couple?" Felix asks. Jake hits his head with his hand.

"That's what I forgot! I didn't see you yesterday so I forgot to invite you. I am so sorry Felix." Jake apologies. "But I can set you up with one of Ashleigh's friends. I know one's smart like you." Felix raises his eyebrows.

"Oh really?" Felix shakes his head. "No, we need to focus. Mr. Stockly has said that we need to find a way to exterminate the Triconigus today! He said the longer it stays in the host, the more aggressive and powerful it gets."

Hayley pitches in now. "Maybe Jake, since you know the people who are the hosts, you can lure them into a place where Felix and I can set up a trap."

"Yeah. That can work. But where is a good place to do that?" Jake asks both of them. They all ponder for a moment, then Jake beams with an idea. "The gym! The gym is perfect for a trap."

"That can work. But do we lure them in one at a time or both at once?" Felix asks Hayley.

"Defiantly one at a time. If Jake was having a rough time handling Chet, then it would be impossible to get JC and Chet."

"Perfect. I will get started on the trap since I have already finished the homework that we are doing in class." Felix says. He turns to Jake. "Jake, I need you to do what ever to lure Chet into the gym at 10:50 am. That gives me and Hayley an hour and a half to set up. Be careful." Felix leaves the class. Jake and Hayley just sit awkwardly.

Tired of the silence, Hayley finally speaks up.

"So Jake, do you really like Ashleigh?" A part of Hayley wants him to say no but the other part just wants him to happy. Jake smiles at her.

"Yeah, she's amazing. I feel like I am dating my best friend so I can talk with her and I get to kiss her. How cool is that?" Jake says.

That hurt Hayley. A lot. She isn't Jake's best friend. _Why should I care? I am just friends with him. _Hayley stands up. "I think I need to go help Felix." With that, she leaves.

"Wait, Hayley! I didn't mean it like that." He yells after her. He didn't want to hurt her. Jake grunts and lays his head on the table. _Great. He just screws up everything, doesn't he? _

**An Hour and a Half Later…**

Jake nervously looks around in senior hall. He is looking for Chet. He fiddles with his watch com to try to calm himself. There's just this nagging feeling that something is going to go wrong. Jake suddenly is startled by arms wrapping around him. He lets out a sigh of relief when he sees that beautiful grin that he likes.

"Hey. What are you doing in senior hall?" Ashleigh asks him while turning him around to face her. She can tell he is stressed because he won't look at her. "What's wrong?"

"Uhh… nothing I just have a bad feeling about a grade I got in science. That's all." Jake hates lying to his girlfriend but he can't tell her about the troop.

"Is that all?" She looks up at him. He feels tense under her examining eyes. Putting his fears aside for a moment, Jake decides to enjoy Ashleigh's company.

Jake smiles at her. "Yes." He gently grabs her waist and she giggles. "Now, I wouldn't be as nervous if you would stop looking so damn hot." Jake smiles broader, proud of his recovery.

She raises an eyebrow at him. "Oh really? Well I can't be looking presentable at this school if my boyfriend gets nervous, now can I?" She says sarcastically.

"That's right." Jake laughs as he says this. He is glad that his relationship with Ashleigh is so relaxed. His attention is brought back to his task when he spots Chet walking angrily down the hall. Jake stops smiling and looks back at Ashleigh. "Hey, why don't I meet you at your locker after school and we can go eat something. I am hungry."

Ashleigh looks at him suspiciously. "We just came from lunch."

"What can I say? I am hungry man." He lowers his voice at the end and jokes with her. He hopes to convince her to leave before Chet gets to them. Ashleigh laughs and walks towards her class room. "Bye!" He yells down the hall. She blows him a kiss as she enters a room.

Jake lets out a big sigh of relief that Ashleigh is out of harms way. He turns to face the other way where Chet was last seen. He can't see him as he searches the halls. When Jake turns a corner, he runs into… well what do you know, Chet.

"Watch where your going Collins." Chet hisses at him. Jake takes a deep breath and does what his plan told him to.

"Make me ass wipe!" Jake snarls. Chet flares his nostrils and Jake bolts in the direction of the gym. Chet runs after him, fuming mad.

As Jake is running, he suddenly feels a sense of Déjà vu. Jake shakes it off as he runs into the gym. Since he is a few seconds ahead of Chet, Jake checks that everything is set. He watch com's Hayley.

"Hayley. I am in the gym. Where are you guys?" Jake says in between breaths. He ran fast.

"Yeah, we are hiding behind the bleachers. Felix and I can watch what's happening and set off the traps."

Felix chimes in. "Okay, so the plan is to talk the Triconigus into releasing the host human. You need to push the monster. When he out, we can jump out and capture him."

Jake logs off right as Chet skids into the gym. Jake can see the fury and anger in Chet's eyes.

"Not a smart move kid. You have no where to go." Chet roars as he gets closer to Jake.

"I may not be smart but I know that you are a Triconigus. So give it up, you can drop the host and fight me for yourself." Jake yells.

"Ohh… I see you found me out." Chet says, letting the darker voice of the monster be present. "Too bad you won't be around to tell anyone about it. You should have left me and my brothers alone."

"Aha! So you admit that JC is possessed by your brother. Man, you guys are as dumb as they say you are." Jake laughs but doesn't loose focus. _Wait… brothers! _

"I dare you to say that again, kid. I dare you!" Chet yells. Jake knows he hit the sensitive spot.

Taking his time, Jake pronounces every syllable with a crisp voice. "You are a dumbass." Jake suddenly feels that nagging feeling that he felt in the halls come back stronger than before.

"Oh, you're dead." With that, Chet whips out a short pistol that was in his belt loop and aims it at Jake. Jake immediately raises his hands in the air.

Hayley sees this and instantly come out from behind the bleacher to try to talk Jake out of the situation. Felix is trying to contact Mr. Stockly.

"Hey Chet. It's Hayley. You should put the gun down before anyone gets hurt." Hayley slowly inches her way over to Jake and stands beside him.

Chet growls at Hayley. "Go away blondie. No need for me to kill two teens."

"Don't hurt her." Jake yells out. Chet looks back at Jake with a sick smile on his face.

"Why? Does Jake have a little crush?" Chet baby talks while shaking the gun. Jakes eye stay planted on the gun.

"No. I don't want anyone to get hurt here." Jake says firmly. He doesn't want to give the monster any ideas by saying he might like Hayley. It would put her in danger. When Hayley hears this she is hurt. Jake doesn't like her.

"Right." Chet sarcastically says. Chet then takes his eyes off the two teens to roll his eyes and that's when Jake lunges at him. Jake tackles Chet to the ground and they fight for control of the gun.

Hayley is just standing a few feet away, in shock. She can't move and can barely breathe. She can only just stand there, watching the scene unfold. She is startled by the schools fire alarm going off. She goes on her watch com.

"What's going on?" Hayley asks in a panic.

"I told Mr. Stockly the situation so he pulled the fire alarm to evacuate the students. We need to get this situation under cont—" Felix doesn't finish the sentence because JC comes barging in.

"What the hell is going on?" JC shouts. Jake and Chet stop for a moment and look at JC but then resume fighting. JC storms over to the where the two boys are fighting and pulls Jake off of Chet. JC punches Jake in the stomach, making Jake bend over in pain.

"Jake!" Hayley yells out. She all of sudden feels arms wrap around her, holding her back from helping Jake. She turns around and to her surprise is…

"Sam?" She whispers. He gives her an evil smile but doesn't speak and watches his brothers.

JC roughly pulls Jake up and holds him by his arms. Chet gets up and wipes the blood from his mouth away. He walks over to where the gun was and picks it up.

"You'll pay for that kid." Chet growls. JC smirks as Chet turns the gun to Jake's chest. Hayley once again tries to tug out of Sam's grasp but can't.

"Let him go!" Hayley yells out. Tears start to form in her eyes. Jake shuts his eyes in pain.

Hayley feels an abrupt loosening of her arms. She turns around and sees Sam laying on the floor and Felix standing above him with a freeze ray.

"That could have been useful a while ago." Hayley says. They turn around and see JC holding Jake in his grip and Chet with his gun on Jake. "Let him go Chet."

Chet ignores her but has an evil grin on his face. He turns more towards Jake.

"So Jake Collins, whose life is more precious? Yours or hers?" When Chet says this, all of the color drains out of Jake's face. His face grows white as he sees Chet turn the gun to be trained on Hayley.

A deadly quiet grows in the gym and everyone's breathing can be heard. _**Bang!**_ The gun goes off, sending a bullet that is aimed to kill.

_Dun..dun..DUNNN! CLIFFHANGER! _


	7. Not Faster Than A Speeding Bullet

**Fricken brace yourselves. FRICKEN BRACE FOR IT! Just to let you know, it jumps times between perspectives to don't get confused.**

**Oh and this is a short chapter that will answer some of your questions.**

When Jake saw that gun turn towards Hayley, he knew that he needed to put her life before his. With adrenaline running through his system, Jake wrestles free from JC and punches him with all the strength he has. Jake punches him right in the eye, knocking him out. _Good thing the monster is as weak as it's host. _Jake thinks for a brief second.

The next part feels like slow motion to Jake. Jake swiftly turns and runs towards Chet, desperately hoping to stop the bullet. Jake uses one of his maneuvers that he learned in football to tackle Chet to the ground. But to his horror, Jake still hears that bang of the gun firing the bullet. He's too late. Jake can only close his eyes and brace for the impact of the ground as Chet's and his body hurl toward the gym floor.

**Hayley's Point of View…**

As soon as Hayley hears that gun go off, she closes her eyes and holds her breath. She's just waiting for the pain and agony to begin. To her surprise, it doesn't come. Nothing. No pain or anything. She unwillingly peeks her eyes open after a minute or two and sees JC and Chet on the ground. There's also a third body on the ground and she assumes it's Sam. Hayley lets out the breath she has been holding and turns around.

"Nice job Fel-" She immediately stops when she doesn't see anyone behind her but Sam. _Who is on the ground then? _Her mind immediately races. _Jake! _"Jake!" Hayley yells out. Silence. No Felix and no Jake.

**Felix's Point of View…**

He cannot believe what's happening before him. Felix is looking at an armed monster holding his friends captive. Taking a deep breath, Felix steps out from behind the bleachers. He is about to go help his friends when he sees Sam enter. _Thank God. Some help. _Felix's hopes are dashed as soon as he sees Sam take Hayley from behind and hold her. _Fudge buckets!_ Sam's a monster too.

Carefully and quietly, Felix sneaks up behind Sam and blasts him with the freeze ray. He can see Hayley become less tense and turn around.

"That could have been useful a while ago." Hayley says to him. They turn around and see JC holding Jake in his grip and Chet with his gun on Jake. "Let him go Chet." Hayley says forcefully.

Felix can sense that this is going to go from bad to worse. He feels his stomach almost upchuck his lunch when he hears Chet evilly say to Jake.

"So Jake Collins, whose life is more precious? Yours or hers?" Felix gasps as he sees Chet turn the gun towards Hayley. Felix looks at her and sees that she's paralyzed with fear.

_**BANG! **_Felix immediately takes a leap of faith when he hears this and dives in front of Hayley. He doesn't feel anything as he crashes onto the hard wood floors of the gym. Right as Felix starts to chuckle,

"I'm alive! I'm alive!" Felix rejoices. He suddenly feels pain shoots up his chest and arm. Felix yelps out in pain, practically screaming bloody murder. Looking down, he sees a hole in left shoulder.

"I got **shot**." He gets queasy with the sight of his own blood oozing out. Felix squints his eyes in pain and puts pressure on his wound. It soon becomes harder to breath. Felix lays down.

Jake comes rushing over to him. He can see Jake's eyes bug out.

"Are…are you okay?" Jake stutters. _Sure, he could be a man if he got shot but he doesn't like seeing his friend shot. _

"No! I got shot!" Felix yells. Jake grows paler.

"I'll call 911." Jake says. He stands up and takes out his phone. "Damn it! Damn it!" Jake cusses. "What a great time not to get service. Way to go Verizon."

Felix hears this and chuckles despite the pain. _Great, while I bleed to death some fat guy is rubbing his bald head trying to fix Verizon's service. _

"I need to run outside to get service. I will be right back. Please stay out of the light." Jake yells the last part as he runs outside. Felix rolls his eyes.

Gradually his eyes start to grow tired. "Don't fall asleep. Stay awake." Felix murmurs to himself but he feels his eyes start to close. Still holding his wound, Felix succumbs to the darkness that is welcoming him.

**General Point of View…**

Hayley is beginning to panic right as Jake comes running in with paramedics by his side. Hayley sees Jake and runs towards him. When they meet, they embrace.

"I didn't know where you were." Hayley cries into Jake's shoulder. Jake hushes her and strokes her hair while seeing the paramedics attend to Felix.

"It's okay."

"Where's Felix?" She asks him, looking up from his shoulder. He doesn't say anything to her but looks over her shoulder. Hayley's gaze follows his. She nearly collapses when she sees Felix being loaded up onto the gurney but Jake holds her up. Hayley turns away and wails harder into Jake's shoulder as the paramedics pass them with Felix.

"Can we come with you?" Jake says quietly. He feels like all of his strength is drained.

"Sorry kid but we can't have you being traumatized by what you might see." The paramedic says. He shuts the door of the ambulance and races off. Jake and Hayley just stand there, both of them looking pale.

_Felix._

**_ANOTHER CLIFFHANGER! Man, am i evil but devilishly good at writing stories. Probably a longer break will happen soon, fyi. The next one will surely wrap it up._**


	8. Being Numb

**I am SOOOOO sorry for the long break inbetween the last chapter and this one. I just wasnt into it but here is a new one! Hopefully it will momentarily satisfy that Troop hunger. REVIEW PLEASE!**

Shock was all that Jake could feel. He was numb and all that he could do with his body was grip Hayley tightly. He doesn't know how but he can feel her shaking…or was that him?

"Jake! Jake, its okay." Hayley consoles him. Jake continues to feel his body shake though.

"I…I couldn't stop him. Felix got shot because of me." Jake wants to cry but he has to be strong; for Felix and Hayley.

"Jake, there was nothing that you or I could have done. We need to go to the hospital to support Felix." Hayley tries to tell herself that as well as Jake. She knows that she should be bawling right now but the reality hasn't kicked in. It's a funny feeling not to know what you are feeling or anything in your body. Hayley looks towards Jake and sees him nod. She puts her arm around them and they walk towards Mr. Stockly's car.

**At the Hospital. . .**

Jake blankly stumbles into the hospital waiting room. The sound of his shuffling feet fills the thick bleak silence. He sits down, deadened, onto a chair. Hayley is right there beside him and sits down next to him. Jake barely moves his eyes to look at her. Jake puts his hand on his face and lightly grazes his fingers across his face as if checking to see if he still has some feeling in his body.

Hayley looks around at the dull sickening white walls that surround her. She hates hospitals. They are so depressing and full of the feeling of death. She glances worriedly at Jake. She feels a tugging of sadness as she thinks about what he must be feeling. Right now no emotions are registering for her… she has been told that this must be a defense mechanism to cope with things. When her dad had a heart attack people asked her why she hadn't cried yet her mom would shoo them away so she didn't have to answer. It was after she knew that he was okay that she cried for hours. She felt like if she cried then it would be too real and too powerful. So she just feels frozen inside but her body still moves.

Haley snaps in front of Jake, hoping that maybe he would be snapped out of his trance but nothing happens. He doesn't even blink. _Nothing may be able to get him out of this._ Hayley sadly thinks. Just then her attention is called to the swinging doors thrown open and Ashleigh bursting through them. _Great. The ditsy patrol and her ignorant posy are here. _Hayley gives Ashleigh daggers through her eyes as Ashleigh makes her way over to Jake.

"Jake? Jake are you okay? I heard what happened to Felix. I am so sorry." Ashleigh kneels in front of Jake and clasps his face in her delicate hands. Jake feels her hands on his face and he looks up towards her. His murky eyes can barely show his true blue eyes.

"I-I can't believe it. One minute I was standing in the gym and the next-" Jake can't complete the sentence because his eyes swell up with tears. _No, not in front of Hayley or Ashleigh. _Jake tries to toughen himself up. He looks up to the ceiling to try to get the tears back into his eyes but they have already escaped. He sees from the corner of his eyes that Ashleigh is reaching up to wipe his tears away. He doesn't want to but he lets her wipe them away. Jake also feels Hayley's hand grip his. Since when has he had such good friends surrounding him like this?

Jake looks back at Ashleigh and smiles through his tears at her. He sees her eyes wander to his hand intertwined with Hayley's. He notices that she slightly growls and scowls at Hayley. _That isn't okay._

"Hey, it's okay." Jake pulls Ashleigh's attention to his face again but the damage is already done. He can see the gears begin to turn within her brain.

"Why is it okay? I don't want to be that clingy girlfriend who gets jealous easily but at this point what other conclusion can I come to?" Ashleigh asks him honestly. Sometimes Ashleigh and her smartness are scary. "Let go of her hand, Jake."

"Uhhh…maybe I should go." Hayley begins to try to get up but Jake stops her. He tugs her back down so that she is sitting again. Jake nods to her before looking determined at Ashleigh.

"She's my friend and she should be able to hold my hand since both of us were there. You don't know what it is like to see a friend shot. We need each other." Jake looks at Ashleigh and sees her eyes widen. "Shit! Ashleigh I didn't mean it like that."

Ashleigh stands up from where she is and doesn't look at Jake. "Well it looks like you know who you need more." She begins to walk away but Jake stands up and captures his hand. He shakes both of his hands, calling attention to the fact that Hayley's hand is in one and Ashleigh's in another.

"I need both of you guys. Hayley is my friend and we shared something today that I hope you will never be experience and I can't help that. I need you too… just in a different way so please . . . please stay with me." Jake tightens his grip around Ashleigh's hand.

Ashleigh looks at her hand intertwined with Jake's then at Jake. She hesitates as she sees the sadness in his eyes. She is about to say something but then she sees Hayley shuffle in her seat. That causes her attention to fly to the hands woven together. Her heart hurts as she thinks about what she has to do to Jake. She looks back at him and unclasps her hand from Jake's.

"I-I can't do it. Every time I would see Hayley I would become angry and jealous; I told myself that if I'd ever be like that again than I would end it. . . so here I am." Ashleigh starts to tear up.

"Please don't do this. I really need you now. Don't leave me please." Jake pleads with Ashleigh. He knows he sounds whipped and corny but it's how he feels. His heart breaks with the sight of Ashleigh running out the doors with tears in her eyes. He feels his jaw go slack and drop. He just got dumped in the emergency room just because he was holding hands with Hayley. _Hayley!_ Jake's head whips around so that he faces her. For a second he swears that she was smiling but it rapidly goes away.

"I'm sorry that you had to see that." He apologizes to her and puts his head down in defeat. Hayley is shocked. Not quite to the feeling when she saw Felix but almost. Jake apologizing! What has gone with this world; Felix getting shot, Ashleigh dumping Jake and Jake apologizing about it.

"Why are you apologizing to me? I am sorry that I had to give you my hand. I think it was my fault that Ashleigh broke up with you."

Jake looks up and gives her a look of fierce grit. It surprised her again. "No. All of my girlfriends should be okay with our special relationship. If she couldn't handle it than that is her fault."

"Look's like she missed out on a great guy." Hayley smiles and nudges Jake. He smiles and gives a cocky look at her. Suddenly her senses are called to the fact that they are fairly close to each other. She can feel her hairs standing on end as his minty breath reaches her cheek. She sees his eyes go from her eyes to her lips then back again. Hayley promises that she can hear her heart pounding.

The moment feels like slow motion to Jake as he carefully leans into Hayley. He sees her eyes flicker to his lips. He can't help but smile. _She wants it too._ He closes his eyes and waits for the amazing feeling of her lips on his.

Right as Hayley starts to lean that inch and a half to close the gap, Mr. Stockly comes in and she immediately jerks away and pushes Jake away. _They were this close_. . .

**_Cliff hanger huh? I do that alot. :] It might be a little longer than you might want for the next one but hang in there. _**


End file.
